Foo Fighters’ Learn to Fly

Full disclaimer, this blogger is biased. My love for the Foo Fighters is far reaching, inclusive of albums, concerts and Foo Fighters Christmas logo wear. Recently, though, a group of Foos super fans in Italy put my fanaticism to shame.

The group, known on You Yube as the Rockin’ 1,000 assembled in Cesena, Italy with their hearts on their sleeves and instruments in hand, to play the Foo Fighters’ Learn to Fly. It was over a year in the making, with resources raised via crowd funding and musicians recruited from all over the world. The goal, to inspire Dave Grohl, Foo Fighters’ founder, to bring the band to Italy and play a show for their fans in the small town of Cesena.

Raising the necessary €40,000 and securing the accomplished conductor, Marco Sabiu, was not stress-free, but lead dreamer Fabio Zaffagnini and his team of hard working Foo fans did it with two months to spare. Smooth it wasn’t. Electrical concerns, permit issues and a revolving door of musicians brought significant complications. Zaffagnini persisted.

The Learn To Fly video, shot on July 26th and uploaded to You Tube on July 30th is quite remarkable for a variety of reasons. With logistical challenges and incredible pressure, the Rockin’ 1,000 not only pulled it off, they sounded damn good. The video also was quite effective.

It’s no wonder really; Dave has always been a man of the fans. To date, the Rockin’ 1,000 video has nearly 20 million views. I think it’s safe to call the project a resounding success. Well done Rockin’ 1,000, well done.

In 2015, it’s both touching and trying to see how accessible we all are, not to mention celebrities. Social media is an essential part of a public figure’s marketing, the medium offering both pros and cons. The curtain of privacy has, in large part, been removed. Some celebrities have embraced the interaction (Taylor Swift) while others have shied away. If you didn’t know already, Rihanna is definitely NOT going to the prom (this is a great article on parasocial relationships with celebrities). But the Foo Fighters…. they are most certainly coming to a town near you.

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